Did You Know...

News of the extreme lackluster box office for the new Matt Damon film about fracking, “Promised Land,” comes as a bit of a surprise. Normally movies about fracking do huge box office (“Frack! The Movie” and “Frackmageddon” being just two examples).

Fracking gets natural gas out of the ground, but it isn’t bringing people into movie theaters.

Big stars and political controversy didn’t translate into a significant box-office haul as “Promised Land,” a new movie exploring environmental concerns about the gas-production method known more formally as “hydraulic fracturing,” fared poorly in its nationwide opening.

The film, which Matt Damon co-wrote and stars in, took just 10th place at the weekend box office, with $4.3 million in ticket sales, according to The Los Angeles Times.
[…]
“Promised Land,” which cost $15 million to make and was directed by indie pioneer Gus Van Sant, delves into fears about water pollution from fracking.